PFF<\/a>.<\/p>\nSeattle\u2019s run defense faltering over time<\/p>\n
Seattle opened the game with solid run fits and sound gap discipline, limiting the Rams\u2019 rushing attack early. Defensive linemen stayed square, linebackers fit downhill with patience, and cutback lanes were largely closed.<\/p>\n
As the game wore on, that structure deteriorated.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles used motion and alignment variation to blur run responsibilities, forcing overpursuit and delayed linebacker fits. Seattle began allowing significant yards after contact\u2014an issue that had not shown up early\u2014and the Rams slowly reclaimed control of offensive tempo.<\/p>\n
What stood out most was the lack of aggressive in-game adjustments. Seattle rarely countered with front changes, run blitzes, or tighter interior alignments. That allowed the Rams to stay comfortable and continue leaning on the ground game.<\/p>\n
This remains Seattle\u2019s defensive kryptonite. Once an offense establishes success on the ground, linebackers are forced to play more aggressively downhill, opening windows behind them. That exact stress shows up on tape here: on one snap, a slight false step by Uchenna Nwosu is enough to create space, and Matthew Stafford narrowly misses a wide-open Colby Parkinson for what should have been a big gain.<\/p>\n
The inability to consistently pressure Matthew Stafford<\/p>\n
Seattle\u2019s pass rush never found consistency, and that proved crucial. While there were isolated pressures, they were neither sustained nor disruptive. Edge rushers frequently lost leverage early in the rep, allowing Stafford subtle pocket movement\u2014just enough to reset his platform and deliver on time.<\/p>\n
Inside, the Rams\u2019 offensive line won too many one-on-one matchups. Without interior push, the pocket never truly collapsed. Stafford was able to attack the intermediate middle of the field with rhythm and control the game\u2019s flow.<\/p>\n
In a championship environment, that lack of pressure\u2014and the absence of effective counters\u2014was defining.<\/p>\n
The Seahawks were eventually forced to rely more on blitzes instead of simulated pressures, with limited success. On one key snap, Seattle calls an overload blitz to the right with Julian Love and Tyrice Knight. On the opposite side, Derick Hall drops into coverage, isolated in space against the tight end, who secures an easy reception and adds yardage with a stiff arm.<\/p>\n
Uncharacteristic individual errors<\/p>\n
Seattle missed nine tackles in this game, several of them in sequence\u2014an unusual outcome for a defense built on discipline and leverage. Unlike the previous matchup, where schematic stress created issues, the Rams benefited far more from individual breakdowns this time.<\/p>\n
Devon Witherspoon gives up a vertical shot to Puka Nacua after the receiver initially threatens a dig route before continuing vertically. It was clearly Witherspoon\u2019s worst game of the season, yet he still redeemed himself with critical plays on third and fourth down on the Rams\u2019 second-to-last drive.<\/p>\n
Riq Woolen had a particularly costly sequence. After making several strong plays, he drops an interception, commits an unnecessary penalty that revives a fourth down, and then allows a touchdown on the very next snap. Sean McVay immediately goes back at him: Nacua sells a stutter step, Woolen loses balance, and the result is another deep completion.<\/p>\n
Josh Jobe also shows solid route recognition and positioning early in his rep, but ultimately loses track of the receiver late, surrendering a sizable gain to Colby Parkinson.<\/p>\n
Lack of consistency in the run game<\/p>\n
In the second half, the Rams clearly adjusted to Seattle\u2019s rushing attack. Edge defenders stayed disciplined, eliminating cutback lanes that fueled early success. Linebackers attacked gaps with improved timing, and the defensive line won more consistently at the point of attack.<\/p>\n
Seattle failed to counter.<\/p>\n
The offense continued to rely heavily on similar zone concepts without enough variation. Gap-scheme runs like power or counter\u2014plays that could have punished the Rams\u2019 increased aggression\u2014were largely absent. There was also limited use of heavier personnel groupings or motion to force the defense to reset the box, making the run game increasingly predictable.<\/p>\n
The absence of fullback Robbie Ouzts was felt here, particularly in short-yardage and constraint situations.<\/p>\n
Sam Darnold\u2019s best game as a Seahawk<\/p>\n
Sam Darnold delivered his most controlled and efficient performance of the season. He operated on schedule, trusted the offense\u2019s structure, and avoided unnecessary risk. Seattle leaned into rhythm throws, and Darnold executed them with excellent footwork and timing.<\/p>\n
This snap stands out as his lone real mistake. The Rams disguise Cover 2 Cloud: the safety rotates down while the corner to the top of the screen takes responsibility for half the field. Darnold fails to process the rotation, locks onto Cooper Kupp, and telegraphs the throw.<\/p>\n
Outside of that, Darnold was outstanding.<\/p>\n
His success stemmed from pocket discipline and his willingness to take what the defense conceded. Against split-safety looks, he consistently attacked the middle of the field on in-breaking routes, hitting receivers in stride and maximizing yards after the catch. His ball placement on intermediate throws\u2014particularly off play-action\u2014was critical in sustaining drives.<\/p>\n
On his third touchdown, the pocket collapses around him, yet Darnold stays calm, works through his reads, and delivers to Cooper Kupp.<\/p>\n
Later, the Rams dial up a Cat Blitz, sending the corner from behind Darnold. The safety to that side rotates down to account for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while the opposite safety takes the deep half\u2014both clearly keyed on JSN. Darnold processes it instantly. Jake Bobo wins against the corner responsible for the other deep half, and Darnold drops in another touchdown.<\/p>\n
Again, the pocket breaks down. Anthony Bradford is beaten cleanly, and as Darnold steps up, Charles Cross is driven into Jared Verse. Without a stable base, Darnold still delivers for a score\u2014an excellent play call by Klint Kubiak paired with elite execution.<\/p>\n
The defining moment was pure clutch football. Seattle goes play-action in a situation where everyone expected a run. Notably, the Seahawks did not run the ball on consecutive plays during that drive until the Rams had out of their timeouts. Darnold navigates the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield, and connects with JSN for the decisive first down.<\/p>\n
The importance of Kenneth Walker<\/p>\n
Kenneth Walker was the engine of Seattle\u2019s early offensive success.<\/p>\n
Operating primarily out of zone concepts, Walker\u2019s patience and vision were on full display. He consistently pressed the play-side gap just long enough to manipulate linebackers before decisively cutting into backside lanes.<\/p>\n
His improvement in tight spaces also stood out. Walker lowered his pad level through contact and generated extra yards after first contact. Several runs that appear modest in the box score were tone-setters, forcing the Rams to commit extra defenders to the box and opening up the play-action game.<\/p>\n
On one snap, the linebacker has a clean path to a tackle for loss. Walker simply refuses to go down, generating positive yardage in a completely unfavorable situation.<\/p>\n
Later, Omar Speights once again has Walker squared up in the backfield. Walker cuts outside, accelerates, wins the edge, and finishes in the end zone.<\/p>\n
Walker also made a meaningful impact in the passing game. On a critical third down, he runs a sharp route, secures the catch, and adds extra yards for an important first down.<\/p>\n
On another key play, Seattle calls a pass when a run is expected. With no receivers open, Darnold checks it down. Walker beats the edge defender who had dropped into coverage, then once again gets past #48 to move the chains and drain the clock.<\/p>\n
The defense did not dominate the way it had against the San Francisco 49ers, but it showed up in critical moments and made enough plays to secure the win. The Rams offense\u2014one I always believed could create problems for our defense\u2014was nearly flawless. With Sam Darnold playing the best football of his Seahawks tenure, Seattle overcame what was, in my view, the toughest possible opponent in this NFC Championship.<\/p>\n
And again, the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Going to the Super Bowl still feels surreal. Back in 2005, watching the NFL from Brazil was difficult.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":714684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2081],"tags":[7,6,238,237,261,52201,2635],"class_list":{"0":"post-714683","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-seattle-seahawks","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-seahawks","11":"tag-seattle","12":"tag-seattle-seahawks","13":"tag-seattle-seahawks-analysis-and-opinion","14":"tag-seattleseahawks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115980062101795015","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=714683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/714684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=714683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=714683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=714683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}